England's coach, Andy Flower, spent his free day rock climbing in the Adelaide Hills, but after the mishap on the pre-Ashes camp in Bavaria, when James Anderson cracked a rib in a boxing bout, he was quick to point out that the players would not be packing crampons.

Flower's teacher was Bruce French, who took time off from his wicketkeeping coaching to give him some basic lessons. "Most of the players are on the golf course – you don't have to worry about broken ribs," the coach assured concerned onlookers.

The Morialta Conservation Park also advertises itself as a "perfect place for pushing prams", but it is best that Flower does not mention that to Kevin Pietersen, who was one those most dismayed by the ban on wives and children until after the end of the second Test. As Adelaide stages that second Test, there will be no pram-pushing next time either.

Flower might also be said to be between a rock and a hard place when it comes to the form of Alastair Cook. He finished the summer with a flourish, with an attacking hundred in the Oval Test against Pakistan that was born out of necessity. Two failures in the opening tour match against Western Australia slipped back to the disappointments of last summer.

But England, like Australia, are not about to panic. To drop Cook for Brisbane would entail either Ian Bell or Jonathan Trott fulfilling an uncommon, if not entirely unknown, opener's role and Flower's assessment of Cook's chances was entirely supportive.

"It's only two innings into the tour," he said. "We have two more preparation games for him to spend some time in the middle and I expect him to do so. He is a quality batsman with a really good Test record and a strong bloke. Confidence going into a Test is important but we are pretty clear about most spots."

Five of England's top six have returned to Australia, with only Trott free from the memories of a 5-0 whitewash four years ago. Flower believes that they return with higher standards, but accepts that large first-innings totals will have to be the norm in Australia if England are to retain the Ashes. A three-day match against South Australia on the normally benign Adelaide Oval, beginning on Thursday, would be a good place to start.

"First-innings totals are very important," Flower said. "Our batsmen probably haven't performed as well as they would have liked over the last couple of years so that is an area we can improve. They are quality international batsmen, but we are setting high expectations. We have been climbing up the rankings, so the guys have been doing some reasonable stuff, but one of our principles is that we are constantly looking to improve."

The one Test where large first-innings totals might not be on the agenda is Brisbane, scene of the opening Test, where unsettled weather has encouraged a series of low scores. "We don't doubt what we are going to get up there," Flower said. "It should be quick and bouncy. That should make for an exciting game. Pitches like that suit most bowlers."